Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Week 5 of isolation, and I am looking increasingly like my portrait, as painted by Little Aussie in a capricious mood a year or two ago....

My hair is getting longer, and the silver tone has some resemblance to the blue hair in my portrait.

Don't think I have grown horns yet, but you never know....

Red eyes, green lippy - anything goes in these strange times.

With most unfortunate timing, our stove top (at least 20 years old) decided to die dramatically a day before our daughter arrived in March.

Just as Covid 19 hit Australia.

In haste we purchased this funny little number from K Mart, a single burner Induction cooker of very limited sensitivity. Its temperature goes up or down in leaps of 20 deg, which makes fine-tuning your delicate egg cooking close to impossible. There have been a few burnt offerings.

We got by during our family visit with the funny pot, an electric frypan, and the oven.

We are certainly longing for the day we can choose a new stove, and probably new benchtops and splash back at the same time. At the moment, we cannot go out for non-essential business, and we do not let anyone into the house, on Government recommendations.

I am slow-sewing my way through isolation, with a target of one garment per week, reducing my fabric stash in the process. As we are self-isolating, the rule was to find everything needed in the sewing room. No new purchases online.

Week 1:

Simple rayon tunic top with dragonflies. Very comfortable home-wear...

Week 2:

'Canada Geese' rayon shirt. This was intended to be made for our last trip to Canada and time overtook me. I love it for the coming cool weather...

Week 3:

Vintage 50s fabric bath robe...

Week 4:

Vintage 50s cotton voile shirt, with puff sleeves.

White buttons, non-matching, from my button stash.

Week 5 is still a work in progress.

I will update in a few more weeks.

Cute little Prince Louis of Cambridge celebrated his second birthday with a bit of finger painting. Did anyone else wonder how he kept his shirt so clean?

What a sweet little boy.

I made some blueberry muffins today, just in case we starve..Have also been to the dentist, following lifting of some restrictions on dentistry.Unfortunately, I have to have crowns on two errant teeth.Fortunately, I can delay it for quite some time as dentists are not permitted to do crowns at the moment.There is always a silver lining, even in our current difficulties.The dentist says he has been enjoying his time off, getting things done at home.I feel the same, am quite enjoying the down time, and will be happy for it to last a few weeks more.This weekend, we are permitted to drive for pleasure up to 50km from home.We can have a picnic and walk in a different park.Along with probably hundreds of others, but we have a little plan.

Friday, April 24, 2020

At dawn, we joined Australians across the country in a unique ceremony -

we stood outside our homes, holding candles or torches, for a commemorative service broadcast across the land.

Unable to participate in the usual marches, ceremonies and church services, Australians devised their own way of remembering the Fallen, as they have done every year since 1916.

The silence was broken only by the sound of the Last Post echoing down our hill.

It was haunting and beautiful...

The original Anzacs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) served in the Middle East and Europe in World War I. From a population of under five million, Australia sent almost 500,000 men. 62,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded or taken prisoner.

This painting from the collection of the Queensland Art Gallery depicts an incident from 1916 during the Battle of Romani. An Australian 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance, sent to retrieve the seriously wounded, came under Turkish fire. The horses started to bolt, but the corporal signalled 'Walk', riding to front to steady the teams. The horses were calmed, the enemy recognised the Ambulance's mission and averted fire. For their bravery and composure, the corporal and drivers were awarded Military medals.

The artist, George W. Lambert served as an Official War Artist attached to the ANZAC Mounted Division, and served in Palestine, Gallipoli and Egypt.

The Australian Light Horse units were mounted infantry who brought their own horses from Australia. The Field Ambulance used 'sand carts' : they had two wheels with tyres wide enough to stop the cart digging into soft sand. In heavy sand four horses were necessary.

After the War, in 1919, Lambert was commissioned to paint this incident, three years after the event. A re-enactment was staged in Egypt, and photographs were taken of Lambert sketching the cart for his painting.

My paternal grandfather served in the Light Horse with two of his brothers. They trained in Egypt after sailing from Australia. My grandfather was then sent on to France and served in Flanders with a medical unit, driving a mule cart into the battle fields to retrieve the wounded. Here are his medals:

Grandfather survived the war, went on to London and married an English girl before returning to Australia. Their first child was my father.

Naturally, I have made Anzac biscuits to enjoy today. This oat and syrup treat was sent by loving wives and girlfriends across the world to the soldiers, and their spirit lives on in Australian kitchens to this day.

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About Me

This blog is a celebration of all things which bring me fun and joy. I am a retired mother and grandmother living in a leafy suburb of Brisbane, Australia, surrounded by abundant birdlife. I love art and art history, architecture, antiques and design, and am a volunteer gallery guide. Other interests include choral singing, sewing, fashion, gardening, and travel. And I absolutely love Christmas.
Email me at trishkellar@reinforcements.com.au